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I love that the first domestic edibles to push their way out of the ground are so vociferous. It could be because they’re the babies of the vegetable world; new, slightly wild and demanding of attention. And like babies, you have to coddle them not with blankets and kisses, but with more mature flavours and textures that will tame and soothe. In addition to the taming and soothing, there’s distraction. If there is enough rattle-shaking, hand-clapping and squeaks to distract your tongue, baby will stop screaming and start smiling. Arugula, parsley, mint, green onions, radishes and chives are covered here, but there’s also rapini, dandelion greens and new sprouts of kale.

A lot of spring produce is bitter to different degrees and what tones down the bitterness are the other four flavours; sweet, salty, sour and umami.

The first three are readily understood so I’ll explain umami. In simple terms, umami means deliciousness or savoury and there are lots of foods that provide this flavour. Soy sauce, tomatoes, beef, cheese, shellfish, cured meats, anchovies, mushrooms, and the Japanese basic stock called dashi all contain this important flavour. That’s why grating Parmesan cheese over pasta with tomato sauce makes it more delicious. Steak with mushrooms and blue cheese with celery are other examples. So when you combine bitter with a little sweetness, a little bit of sour, and umami, the bitter edge will be smoother and less noticeable.

Keep these rattles and squeaks in your culinary tool box. You’ll find that they make all sorts of cantankerous and crybaby ingredients sweet and jolly.

Arugula Panzanella

Panzanella is bread salad in which the bread deliciously soaks up all the different flavours that it’s combined with. Traditionally, the bread is not toasted, but toasting adds another layer of taste.

You can dress this up with prosciutto, shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese (all of these are high in umami), or a ball of fresh mozzarella sliced over the top. I love serving this type of salad with roasted chicken.

1/4 of a big round loaf of artisanal, day-old bread

2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons (30 mL) red wine vinegar

1/3 cup (80 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) pieces

1 cup (250 mL) fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

2 cups (500 mL) small arugula leaves, packed

3 green onions, julienned

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the bread into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes, then toss on the baking sheet with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of olive oil. Toast in the oven until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the bread.

Mix the garlic, vinegar and salt to taste. Slowly beat in the 1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil and a goodly amount of black pepper.

When ready to serve, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Poor Man’s Pesto

You can spread this on bread or toss it with pasta. This recipe is enough for 1 pound (500 g) of dried pasta. I like to stir it into cooked brown basmati rice and it’s also great with quinoa.

Make sure the walnuts you are using are really fresh or the pesto will taste nasty.

2 cups (500 mL) tightly packed Italian parsley leaves (1 big bunch)

¾ cup (180 mL) lightly roasted walnut pieces

½ cup (125 mL) freshly grated grana padano or Parmesan cheese

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

½ teaspoon (2 mL) sea salt

¾ cup (180 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Place the parsley, walnuts, cheese, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Add the oil to parsley mixture in a slow stream, pulsing to combine. Pulse in the lemon juice and zest. This is best used on the same day but it will keep refrigerated for 2 days.

Makes 1¼ cups (225 mL)

Radish Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette

I know you’re scared. Radishes and anchovies in the same recipe. They really do help each other out and the effect of them together is crunchy and delicious.

2 bunches small radishes (about 12-15 per bunch)

¼ cup (60 mL) roughly chopped Italian parsley

6 large basil leaves, roughly torn

2 green onions, julienned

4 anchovy fillets or 2 teaspoons (10 mL) anchovy paste

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons (30 mL) lemon juice

¼ cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A piece of Parmesan cheese

Trim and wash the radishes. Cut into 4 wedges if small, or 6 or 8 wedges if large. Combine with the parsley, basil and onions.

In a small bowl, mash the anchovies to a paste with the garlic. Stir in the lemon juice then slowly beat in the olive oil. When ready to serve, toss the vinaigrette with the radish mixture and transfer to a serving dish. With a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan cheese over the salad.

Pennsylvania Dutch Beet Pickled Devilled Eggs

3 cups (750 mL) water

1 cup (250 mL) distilled white vinegar

1 raw baseball-sized beet, peeled and diced

1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon (15 mL) sugar

1 teaspoon (5 mL) sea salt

1 tablespoon (15 mL) pickling spice

12 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled

½ cup (125 mL) mayonnaise, or more to taste

1 tablespoon (15 mL) Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon (15 mL) prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons (30 mL) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons (30 mL) minced chives

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the water, vinegar, beet, onion, sugar, pickling spice, and salt to a boil in a small pot. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook until the beet is tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cool the liquid completely. Transfer to a deep, narrow bowl or storage container and add the eggs. Cover and refrigerate for least 2 hours and up to 2 days. The longer the eggs are pickled, the stronger the colour and flavour will be, but they will also be firmer in texture.

Remove the eggs from the beet mixture and pat them dry. Cut each egg in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Mash the yolks with the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, parsley and chives. Season the filling to taste and mound into the egg whites. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.